A Golden Dream
by Ethereal Wishes
Summary: While Belle's under the sleeping curse, she has a dream about dancing with Rumpelstiltskin in the Dark Castle. This story is based on Belle's thoughts based on that two second dance scene in the S6 promo.


_**A Golden Dream**_

 _ **A/AN: A little something I conjured up from the two second promo scene with Belle and Rumple dancing.**_

 _Belle drank in her surroundings. She was standing inside a room she hadn't been in since returning to the Enchanted Forest after her beloved sacrificed himself to Pan. The room was one she was familiar with. In the center of it was a long table she'd served her master tea when she was his maid. She respired deeply as she scanned the garnished atmosphere full of refined artwork and baubles he enjoyed collecting. As she looked down at herself, she noted she was wearing a golden ballgown reminiscent of the one she'd worn on their honeymoon. Rumpelstiltskin was fond of golden hued objects and insisted she wear various shades of the color. Nearly every dress he'd gifted her with was in that shade. She became aware she was dreaming when she saw him appear in the doorway, her mind involuntarily conjuring him up. A tear trekked down her cheek as she beheld him in his impish form. Deep down inside her heart, she knew she favored him in his scales over his cloak of human flesh. It was in this form that she first fell for him. He'd reminded her she was attracted to the beast back in the Underworld. This intricate fantasy her subconscious had weaved together proved he was right. She turned to him, a soft smile blooming to her lips as she approached him._

 _Rumpelstiltskin stared at the woman wearing a golden ballgown which fit loosely around her shoulders, standing in front of him. He glanced down at his skin, surprised to see the change in his appearance. He turned his hands over and over again, astonished by the gray golden hue. He examined his talons, afraid that he would frighten the beautiful woman in front of him._

" _Dance with me Rumple," she beamed, taking both of his hands,and pulling him forward. She was clearly unfazed by his beastly appearance._

 _She twirled in a circle before facing him again. "Don't be so afraid, we've done this many times before but never in your castle. I fantasized about it when I worked for you though," she chortled, relinquishing her hidden desires to her dream husband. He wasn't really here and looked at her as if he had no idea who she was, but she would pretend it was authentic. Maybe if she wished hard enough, it would become real, and he would truly materialize in front of her. She held out her right hand, and he followed her in a circinate motion. They stopped with both of their hands held out, facing each other. Belle held onto his hand tightly, afraid if she let go that he would slip through her grasp in wisps of smoke. She felt like she was lost within her wonderful dream she knew could fade away at any moment. They turned opposite of each other, switching hands but never unfastening their gazes from one another._

"You're quite lovely to behold, milady. What possessed you to dance with someone as beastly as myself? _" he queried as they followed each other in a synchronized motion._

"We've met before, Rumpelstiltskin, _" she replied somberly, melancholy flashing in her azure depths as they continued to spin. He picked her up gracefully in his arms on cue as if they'd been dancing with each other their entire lives._

" _I'm quite certain we've never met," Rumpelstiltskin remarked, twirling her around in his arms some more, holding onto her tightly, lingering in the moment._

" _It was once upon a dream," she said ardently, reaching up to caress his cheek with her delicate fingertips._

"If we'd met before, then I'm certain I wouldn't have forgotten your angelic face. It isn't every day that a lovely maiden decides to dance with a beast, _" he imparted, swallowing hard as she etched closer to his face._

"You may not remember and that's alright, but I do and this is my dream, _" she whispered softly, pushing tufts of curl from his eyes, and cupping his face in her hands gently. She closed her eyes, expecting to feel his warm lips brush against hers as she leaned in closer. She was met with cool air instead of his supple lips which she longed for._

 _She opened her eyes to find the walls of the Dark Castle had faded around her. She gazed down at her attire to realize her golden ballgown had been replaced with the clothing she'd been wearing before she put herself under the sleeping curse. Before her stood an elongated hallway with a series of doors on each side. Behind each door was a new dream she could immerse herself into. She would visit each one and hopefully find a version of him there, waiting for her to join him. It wouldn't be real, but it would sate her desire for him until she woke up. She prayed it was soon as she opened another door and slipped inside, losing herself in the euphoria of simply being with him without the heartache of their marital disputes. Perhaps, she would never wake up. Maybe it was better to love him in a dream where the darkness couldn't permeate the pure love they shared. At least in her dreams, she could control the outcome of his choices and right his wrongs. In the real world, she had no control over what happened to them. Belle wasn't sure if she was strong enough to deal with the things outside of her control, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to. She convinced herself dreaming was better as she slowly stepped away from reality._

 _ **A/AN: I realize this may seem controversial, but I wanted to focus on what Belle was feeling or may be feeling in her dreams.**_


End file.
